Combination bomb and gun sight head



Jan. 16, 1945. E. E. FLINT COMBINATION BOMB AND GUN SIGHT HEAD Filed July 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l F'IG.3

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COMBINATION BOMB AND GUN SIGHT HEAD Filed July 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 16,1945

. UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION BOMB AND GUN SIGHT HEAD Earl E. Flint, Middletown, Ohio Application July 13, 1943, Serial No. 494,463

' 9 Claims. (01. lie-2.4 (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) combined gun and bomb sighting unit, part of The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in aircraft sights, and more particularly, to adjusting means for combined gun and low altitude bombing sights, and has for an object the provision of adjustable sighting means for a collimator sight that is simple and positive in operation, including releasable locking means for positively maintaining the sight in a gun sighting position, together with positive stop means for quickly adjusting the sight to a plurality of predetermined low altitude bomb sighting positions.

Another object is the provision of a unitary bomb and gun sighting head for collimator sights which are compact in form, convenient to adjust to different bomb and gun sighting adjustments in the dark, and capable of easy and economical manufacture in quantities. I

A further object is the provision of a combined bomb and gun sight unit capable of convenient mounting as a unit on a collimator sight base to convert the collimator sight into a combined gun and low altitude bomb sight having positive means for quickly adjusting the sight to a series of predetermined bomb sightin positions.

A still further object is the provision of counterbalanced adjustable reflector means for preventing vibration of the reflector support with respect to the reflector pivot.

A further object is the provision of a compact unitary bomb and gun sighting head with the elimination of projecting parts, reducing the danger of injury to the pilot in event of crash, as

compared to previously constructed sights of this type.

A still further object is the provision of a combined adjustable gun and'low altitude bombing sight, including locking means for holding the sight in predetermined sighting positions, in

which the release means for the locking means constitutes the adjusting means for the sight.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts. I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a collimator sight having my improved combined gun and low altitude bomb sight unit applied thereto, part of the collimator sight housing being broken away, and parts being shown in section.

the collimator sight housing being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the setting knob and the locking lever being shown in unlatched position in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view imately on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the sighting unit, and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the nuineral I indicates generally a collimator sight of somewhat conventional construction, having my improved gun and bomb sighting head, or unit 2 applied thereto. The collimator sight comprises a. main housing 3, carrying a vertically adjustable lens cell assembly 4 in the upper part thereof, while in the lower end of the housing is positioned the usual mirror 5. The housing 3-carries taken approxthe usual lamp chamber 6 in the lower part therecle image through the lens cell A, where these light rays are refracted into substantiall 'parallel light rays as they pass out of the upper end of the collimator sight housing 3.

My improved adjustable bomb and gun sighting head 2 comprises a supporting clamping frame l0, adapted to be secured on the upper end of the collimator sight housing 3, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the clamping frame-being split and clamped in position by any suitable means, such as the clampin screw ll. Spaced supporting ears, or arms 12 and i3 project from the front side of the clamping frame It), and have the transparent reflector carrying sighting frame adjustably positioned therebetween, as indicated generally as at I 4. This frame is fixed on an adjusting shaft l5, suitably journaled in the two supporting arms l2 and I3.

A sight actuating arm [6 for shifting the reflector frame I4 is adjustably clamped on the left hand extremity of the shaft I5, just outside Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged front view of my of the supporting arm l3, and a clamping screw i1 extending through the split end of the arm l8 Secures the arm against relative movement on the shaft I5. The lower end of the actuating arm is bifurcated at It, to receive the flattened end of a short, threaded sight adjusting screw rod i9, and a pivot pin 28, passing through apertures in the ends of the actuating arm l8, and in the end of sight adjusting screw I9, pivotally secures these parts of the device together in operative actuating relation.

The clamping frame it has projecting from the left side thereof, as best seen in Fig. 5, a relatively wide supporting bracket 2|, having a cylindrical bore 22 extending therethrough, better seen in Fig. 4, to rotatably receive a sight adjusting spindle 23.

The sight adjusting spindle 23 carries a flanged head 2% at one end, adapted to rest against the flat face of the supporting bracket 2|, while the opposite end of the spindle 23 carries a reduced cylindrical extension 25, extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the bracket 2|, and an elongated stop sleeve 26 is secured on the spindle 23 by set screws 21. Longitudinal end play in the sight adjusting spindle, with respect to the bracket 2|, is prevented by engagement of the flanged head 24 at one end of the spindle with one end of the bracket 25, or by the engagement of the end of the stop sleeve 26 fixed on the spindle with the opposite face of th bracket 2|.

The adjusting spindle 23 has an axial recess 23 formed therein, and is internally threaded, as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to receive the threaded end of the short reflector frame adjusting screw rod l9.

Rotation of the spindle 23 in either direction causes the short reflector adjusting screw rod l9 te -be moved longitudinally, rocking the arm IE to cause the shaft l to rotate, carrying the sighting frame M.

The rear, or outer portion of the stop sleeve 26 has an annular flange 29 formed thereon, having a plurality of fixed parallel headed guide rods 3|! projecting from the rear face thereof, and slidably carrying a sight adjusting wheel or setting knob 3|, formed with a truncated conical central extension 3 la on its inner or forward face. Suitable guide openings 32 extend through the knob to receive the guide rods 30 projecting from the annular flange 29, the openings 32 in the knob being counterbored for a short distance from the rear face to accommodate the headed extremities 34 of the guide rods 30. A coil spring 35, under compression, is placed between the confines of the guide rods 30 with one and bearing against the inner face of the setting knob 3| and the other end against the rear end of the stop sleeve 26,

thus tensioning the setting knob rearwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Clarnped on the stop sleeve 26 are a plurality of split stop rings 33, 31 and 38, each carrying projecting lugs 38a, 31a and 38a, formed with an abrupt stop'shoulder, with an inclined or camming surface leadin from the shoulder to the periphery of the ring. Clamping screws 4| are provided for each of the rings to adjustably secure the same against relative rotation with respect to the sleeve 26, On which the rings are secured. Another stop ring 39, also secured on the sleeve 26, carnies an elongated radially projecting stop lug 4|], having stop shoulders on both of its edges,

and this ring is also fixedly clamped on the sleeve 26 in a mannner similar to the other split rings 36, 31 and 38, just referred to.

The lower side of the bracket 2| has formed therein an elongated recess 44 parallel to the axis of the spindle 23, in which a. latching lever #32 is disposed. This lever 42 is pivoted at 43, with one end thereof extending across the periphery of the stop rings 36, 31 and 38, the upper edge compression coil spring 45 suitably socketed in the bracket 2| between the same and the forward end of the lever. The free end 421; of the lever terminates in a beveled nose or extremity it positioned adjacent the truncated conical extension 3 In on the inner face of the setting knob-3 l. The outer or front face of this setting knob is recessed, as indicated at 41, to receive an indicating disc 48, calibrated around its periphery in any suitable manner to indicate bomb dropping angles for variations in altitude at which the aircraft should be flown during a bombing operation, or it may be calibrated for vertical distances at which the aircraft should be flown. A clamping screw 5| extends through the center of the disc 48 into a threaded opening in the setting knob 3| to draw the disc into tight frictional seating engagement in the recess 41 when the screw is tightened.

A stationary indicator or pointer 49 is formed on the main clamping frame l0 and projects forwardly to a point adjacent the periphery of the setting knob 3|, the pointer having an indicat= ing' line 50 inscribed thereon to register with the indications on the setting knob 3|.

The adjustable sight reflector frame it, previously referred to, and carried by the sight adlusting shaft l5, comprises a reflector carrier bar 52 extending between the inner faces of the supporting arms l2 and I3 on the supporting frame I0, and is securely positioned to the shaft |5 in any suitable manner, as shown in the drawings. The upper face of this carrier bar is recessed, as indicated at 53, to receive the transparent sighting reflector member 54 having a highly polished reflecting surface 54a, onto which the image of the reticle is projected. A clamping angle plate 55 secures the sighting reflector 56 in its recess, the plate bein secured in place on the carrier bar by clamping screws 56 extending through the plate at opposite ends thereof into the bar.

The lower face of the carrier bar 52 has bracket arms 51 projecting from the ends thereof and coil tension springs 58 connect the outer extremities of'the bracket arms 51 to suitable projections or fastening means on the main clamping frame It.

The image of the reticle, projected on the sighting reflector, is reflected toward the pilot or other operator of the device in the usual manner, in sights of this general type, the apparent or reflected reticle sight image having the appearance and effect of being out in front of the sight at a considerable distance. In the initial adjustment of the sight, the setting knob 3| is rotated to zero position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, bringing one side of the stop lug 40 against the side of the latching lever 42. The clamping screw l1 or; the actuating arm l6, carried by the shaft I5, is loosened slightly so that the reflector frame and reflector 54 may be now adjusted to bring the apparent image of the reticle into a position where it will intersect the line of fire of the fixed guns on the aircraft at a predetermined distance in front of the guns.

The fourth ring 39, in addition to carrying the elongated stop lug 40, carries an abrupt stop shoulder 39a. facing the lug 40 and spaced therefrom substantially the width of the latching lever 42. This forms a positive look, when the knob is rotated anticlockwise to bring the radial lug 40 against one side of the latching lever 42, with the abrupt shoulder of the other lug 39a at the opposite side of the latching lever, and this adjustment of the sight is preferably the zero position for use in sighting the fixed guns of the aircraft.

Rotation of the setting knob 3| to the right rotates the spindle 23, causing the short sight adjusting screw shaft lit to be screwed inwardly, tilting the reflector forwardly to depress the sighting line, indicated by the apparent image of the reticle on the sighting reflector glass 54. When the proper depression angle of the sight is effected, fora given speed of the plane at a predeter-I mined altitude, one of the stop rings 36 to 38 is loosened, and rotated to bring the stop lug on the ring up against the side of the latching bar 42, and then secured.

Since the lugs 36a to 39a all have their abrupt stop shoulders facing in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the rear or adjusting end of the sight, and the camming surface leading from the outer edge of the abrupt shoulders in a counterclockwise direction to the periphery of the rings carrying the lugs, it is possible to adjust the sight to any of its three positions in the dark or without referring to the calibrations on the dial by simply pressing in on the knob 3| to release the latching lever, turning the knob slightly, and letting the same come forward as it is rotated until the particu'Ia'r selected bomb sighting angle is reached, as determined by the setting of the stop lug on one of the stop rings 36 to 38. When the knob is stopped by the first shoulder, if this is not the bombing angle desired, theknob 3| is pressed inwardly, turned and released, to allow the knob to be rotated until it strikes the second or third stop lug, as desired. By pressing inwardly on the knob 3|, the cam surface of the truncated conical portion 31a strikes the beveled nose 46 on the end of the latching lever 42, depressing the lever out of the path-of the first stop lug, and the knob can then be rotated.

The position of the abrupt surfaces adjacent the camming surfaces of the lugs 36a to 39a permit the setting knob 3| to be freely rotated counterclockwise to bring the sight back to zero or gun sighting position, and the stop lug 39a locks the sight in this position until the knob is pressed inwardly to release the same.

While the interengagement between the threads in the wall of the spindle 23 with the threaded shank on the short sight adjusting screw i9 is probably sufficient to accurately tilt' the reflector frame It in either direction, I prefer to use the two tension springs 58 between the lower end of the reflector frame and the clamping frame In in order to maintain the reflector frame tension in one direction at all times. This compensates for any looseness that may occur in the device due to wear, or to permit the end of the short shaft l9 to rock slightly as the connection thereof to the arm l6 moves on a slight arcuate path with the axis of the shaft l as .a center. The reflector frame is preferably counterbalanced on its pivotal center, so

that the position of the reflector cannot be shifted or vibrated while in use, due to shock or other causes.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

"tude bomb sighting angles, releasable latch means on the support, and a plurality of one way acting adjustable stop means on said reflector adjusting means, one for each bomb sighting angle constructed and arranged to engage said latch means upon movement of the adjusting means in one directiononly, to arrest movement of'the adjusting means with said reflector means disposed in any of said angular sighting adjustments, said stop means being adjustable on the reflector actuating means to vary said predetermined angular sighting adjustments of said reflector sighting means.

2. A combined aircraft gun and low altitude bomb sight attachment for optical sights of the collimator type comprising a support, adapted to be fixed to a collimator sight, having transparent sighting reflector means adjustably mounted thereon to receive the reticle image projected from the collimator sight and reflect the same at selectable predetermined gun and bomb sighting angles, movable adjusting means on the support for moving said sighting reflector means between said predetermined gun and low altitude bomb sighting angles, releasable latch means on the support, a plurality of one way acting adjustable stop members on said reflector adjusting means, One for each predetermined sighting angle, constructed and arranged to engage said.

latch means upon movement of the adjusting means in one direction only, each to arrest movement of the adjusting means with said reflector means at said predetermined sighting adjustment, said stop members being independently adjustable on the reflector actuating means to selectively vary said predetermined angular sighting adjustments of said reflector sighting means, and common actuating handle means movable in one direction for selectively actuating the adjusting means and movable in another direction to release said latch means from engagement with said stop members to permit further actuation of said adjusting means in the same first mentioned direction.

3. An aircraft gun and low altitude bomb sighting attachment for optical sights of the collimator type having a base, a light source, therein, a mirror for receiving the diverging light from said lens system and adjustable to reflect said rays at selectable predetermined gun and low altitude bomb sighting angles, rotary adjusting means on said support, connected to said sighting reflector for adjustably tilting the same incident to rotary movement of said adjusting means, a releasable latching lever pivoted on said support and extending adjacent the rotary adjusting means at one side thereof parallel to the axis of said rotary adjusting member, a radial stop lug on said rotary adjusting means projecting in the path of relative movement of said latching lever to limit rotary movement of said rotary adjusting means in both directions, a plurality of individually adjustable one way engaging stop lugs on said rotary adjusting means, po-

sitioned for abutting engagement with said latching lever to arrest rotary movement of the rotary adjusting means in one direction only, an axially shifting setting knob mounted on said rotary adjusting means for rotating the same, having latch lever camming means thereon constructed and arranged to engage said latching lever and move the same to release position upon axial movement of the said knob toward said latching lever.

4. An aircraft combined gun and low altitude bomb sighting attachment for optical sights of the collimator type comprising a support adapted to be secured in fixed relation to a collimator sight on an aircraft, a substantially transparent sighting reflector tiltably mounted on said support to receive the projected reticle image from the collimator sight and reflect the same at variable gun and bomb sighting angles with respect to the aircraft on which the sight is mounted, a sighting reflector adjusting shaft journaled on said support for rotary movement only, having a threaded axial bore formed therein at one end, a reflector actuating shaft having a threaded portion at one end disposed in engagement with the threaded bore aforesaid, and connected at the other end to said tiltable reflector at a point radially outward of its tilting axis, a plurality of stop lugs adjustably flxed on said adjusting shaft around the periphery thereof, a releasable latching lever pivoted on said support and extending in parallel relation to the axis of the adjusting shaft in the path of movement of the said stop 1118s, a setting knoblongitudinally splined on the adjusting shaft adjacent the free end of said latching lever, said knob having an annular beveled cam surface on one face thereof movable into camming engagement with the end of the latching lever upon axial movement of the setting knob to shift the lever to released position.

5. An aircraft combined gun and low altitude bomb sighting attachment for optical sights of the collimator type, comprising a support adapted to be securedin fixed relation to a collimator sight on an aircraft, an actuating shaft journaled on said support, an inclined sighting reflector fixed on said shaft to receive the projected reticle image from the collimator sight and reflect the same at selectable gun and bomb sighting angles, adjusting means on the support for selectively rocking said shaft to change the angular relation of said transparent sighting reflector with respect to the projected reticle image from the-collimator sight, for gun and low altitude bomb sighting operations, said adjusting means comprising a shaft journaled on said support for rotary movement only on its axis, a threaded actuator between the first mentioned shaft and said second threaded shaft at one end, with its opposite end in operative actuating engagement with said first mentioned shaft, latch means between the support and said threaded shaft for releasably locking said threaded shaft in a plurality of predetermined rotative adjustments to position said transparent reflector carried thereby in a plurality of predetermined angular sighting positions.

6. A gun and low altitude bomb sight head for aircraft optical sights of the collimator type, comprising a support adapted to be secured adjacent the upper portion of a collimator sight in fixed relation thereto, a horizontally pivoted transparent sighting reflector inclined above the collimator sight to receive the reticle image projected therefrom, and tiltable to reflect said image at a plurality of selectable gun and bomb sighting angles, a horizontally disposed reflector adjusting shaft journaled on said support with its axis at right angles to the pivotal axis of said reflector, an operating connection between said shaft and said reflector, converting rotary movement of the actuating shaft into tilting movement of the reflector, a plurality of stop lugs projecting from said shaft around the periphery thereof, releasable stop means carried by said support in the path of movement of said lugs, and an actuatin knob on one end of said shaft for rotating the same to adjust said reflector.

7. A gun and low altitude bomb sight head for aircraft optical sights of the collimator type comprising a support adapted to be secured adjacent the upper portion of a collimator sight in fixed relation thereto, a horizontally pivoted transparent sighting reflector inclined above the collimator sight to receive the reticle image projected therefrom, and tiltable to reflect said image at a plurality of selectable gun and bomb sighting angles, a horizontally disposed reflector adjusting shaft journaled on said support with its axis at right angles to the pivotal axis of said reflector, an operating connection between said shaft and said reflector. converting rotary movement of the actuating shaft into tilting movement of the reflector, a plurality of stop lugs projecting from said shaft around the periphery thereof, releasable stop means carried by said siibport in the path of movement of said lugs, and an actuating knob splined on one end of said shaft for rotating the same to adjust said reflector, said actuating knob having camming nieans thereon, engageable with said releasable stop means to move the same to released position with respect to said stop lugs when said knob is moved axially on the splines of said adjusting shaft toward said releasable stop means. i

8. A gun and low altitude bomb' sighting head for aircraft optical sights of the collimator type adapted to be secured on the upper portion of the collimator sight in fixed relation thereto, a horizontal shaft journaled on said support having a counterbalanced transparent sighting reflector fixedly mounted thereon in an inclined position engaging the threaded portion of the latter shaft above the collimator sight t receive the reticle image from the collimator sight, and tiltable to reflect said image at selectable gun and bomb sighting angles, a horizontally disposed reflector actuating spindle journaled in said support, an operating connection between said spindle and the sighting reflector, converting rotary movement of the spindle into tilting movement of the reflector, a plurality of stop ringsrfadjustably secured on the spindle, said stop rings having abrupt shoulders facing in one direction, and inclined surfaces leading in the opposite direction from the tips of the said shoulders to the peripheries of the rings, a latching lever pivotally carried by said support, normally disposed in the path of movement of the abrupt shoulders of the stop rings, to arrest rotary movement of said adjusting spindle in one direction only, to selectively adjust the transparent reflector, means for actuating said adjusting spindle, and for moving said latching lever to release position.

9. An aircraft gun and bomb sighting attachment for optical sights of the collimator type comprising a fixed supporting element adapted to be secured in fixed relation t a, collimator sight on an aircraft, a first shaft journaied on said supporting element. a transparent sighting reflector fixed on saidfirst shaft in substantially balanced relation to receive the projected reticle image from the collimator sight, an actuating arm ad- 'justably secured to one end of said first shaft for rotating the shaft to adjust the angular relation of the sighting reflector with respect to the projected reticle image to vary the sighting angle of the reflector, a second actuating shaft element journaied on the supporting element at substan- .tially right angles to said first shaft, and having sighting reflector.

EARL E. FLINT. 

